TN: Some-or-a

[MarkS]

Foradori, Vigneti delle Dolomiti, 'Morei', 2011
Teroldego. Typical blackish-purple-red color. Such a sour wine! Sour plums and unripe blackberries with a healthy wallop of acidity. Simply no nuance: it's all about the sour juice, like drinking an unsweetened Ribena. Ridiculous nearly 2 pound bottle that Greens may want to take note of and avoid and not a bargain for $40-50. Becoming less a fan of these Hapsburg red grapes the more I drink them.

Guigal, Saint Joseph (blanc), 'Lieu Dit', 2012
Don't know why Guigal needs to put 'lieu dit' on the label while simultaneously not telling us which one? This a medium deep gold with paraffin on nose and a rich stew of butter, boiled peanut, and lemon-thyme honeycomb wax on the palate. There's that rich, dull, unctuous quality on the end that many white Rhones have and a little bit of alcohol warmth as well. [93% marsanne/7% rousanne]

Ver Sacrum, Marsanne, Uco Valley, 'Geisha de Jade', 2018
Has a back label that I am surprised passed BATF standards, with several nude women floating about on it. A quiet nose, but has the buttered boiled peanut and a slight floral element that denotes marsanne to me. Nice, if a little neutral, but a nice surprise from Argentina that should catch a nice audience. 13%

Felsina, Chianti Classico Riserva, Rancia', 2004
Deep and dark aromas of black fruits with a little menthol. A big wine, despite the 13.5% alcohol, full of loganberry and blueberry and menthol and a white balsamic volatile note on the end after some time. Strong acidity and melded tannins. Good, but I feel more impressed than I enjoy it.

Biondi, Etna, 'San Nicolo', 2016
Lightish cherry-strawberry red color. Faded aromas of old hawthorn fruit, crabapple and dried raspberry. Austere and mineral...dare I say 'volcanic'? At the moment this is a bit thin; am unclear whether this will fan out or if this is as good as it gets.

Pierre Boisson, Meursault, 2011
Light apple and pear, with oak spice on the nose and palate. Medium acidity and a light gingered ending. Very good, yet despite feeling youthful, doubt it will improve much. Still very nice for a simple village chardonnay.

Domaine Rossignol-Trapet, Gevrey Chambertin, 'Les Corbeaux', 2008
13% Only the very faint sense of forest floor and faded fruit, with light cherry and slight field mint. Good, if a bit one note. Ready now and I suspect could hold for another 2-3 years but would probably want to drink it before then.

Donnhoff, Norheimer Kirschheck, Riesling-spatlese, 2004
Slightly heavy oily nose. A bit one note with diesel and apple-seed. Good, but not great. What do we expect from our 15 year old wines?

 

[Joe Cz]

originally posted by MarkS:
Guigal, Saint Joseph (blanc), 'Lieu Dit', 2012
Don't know why Guigal needs to put 'lieu dit' on the label while simultaneously not telling us which one? This a medium deep gold with paraffin on nose and a rich stew of butter, boiled peanut, and lemon-thyme honeycomb wax on the palate. There's that rich, dull, unctuous quality on the end that many white Rhones have and a little bit of alcohol warmth as well. [93% marsanne/7% rousanne]

It's from the lieu dit Saint-Joseph. I'm told it includes old-vine fruit from the former estate of J.L. Grippat (purchased by Guigal in 2000, IIRC).

 

[MarkS]

originally posted by Joe Cz:

originally posted by MarkS:
Guigal, Saint Joseph (blanc), 'Lieu Dit', 2012
Don't know why Guigal needs to put 'lieu dit' on the label while simultaneously not telling us which one? This a medium deep gold with paraffin on nose and a rich stew of butter, boiled peanut, and lemon-thyme honeycomb wax on the palate. There's that rich, dull, unctuous quality on the end that many white Rhones have and a little bit of alcohol warmth as well. [93% marsanne/7% rousanne]

It's from the lieu dit Saint-Joseph. I'm told it includes old-vine fruit from the former estate of J.L. Grippat (purchased by Guigal in 2000, IIRC).

Thanks! No wonder it's so good, then.

 

[georg lauer]

originally posted by MarkS:
Pierre Boisson, Meursault, 2011
Light apple and pear, with oak spice on the nose and palate. Medium acidity and a light gingered ending. Very good, yet despite feeling youthful, doubt it will improve much. Still very nice for a simple village chardonnay.

That simple village chardonnay goes for at least 70$ these days. Is it still very nice for that much?

 

[MarkS]

originally posted by georg lauer:

originally posted by MarkS:
Pierre Boisson, Meursault, 2011
Light apple and pear, with oak spice on the nose and palate. Medium acidity and a light gingered ending. Very good, yet despite feeling youthful, doubt it will improve much. Still very nice for a simple village chardonnay.

That simple village chardonnay goes for at least 70$ these days. Is it still very nice for that much?

Hmm...for $70 I'd probably rather have a Lamy St Aubin for the added complexity, but I bought this for around $40 and would definitely pay that again. It had great balance.

 

[Rahsaan]

originally posted by MarkS:


Ver Sacrum, Marsanne, Uco Valley, 'Geisha de Jade', 2018
Has a back label that I am surprised passed BATF standards, with several nude women floating about on it. A quiet nose, but has the buttered boiled peanut and a slight floral element that denotes marsanne to me. Nice, if a little neutral, but a nice surprise from Argentina that should catch a nice audience. 13%

Jade Geisha is a purely fanciful name? Or is there some connection to the wine.

 

[MarkS]

originally posted by Rahsaan:

originally posted by MarkS:


Ver Sacrum, Marsanne, Uco Valley, 'Geisha de Jade', 2018
Has a back label that I am surprised passed BATF standards, with several nude women floating about on it. A quiet nose, but has the buttered boiled peanut and a slight floral element that denotes marsanne to me. Nice, if a little neutral, but a nice surprise from Argentina that should catch a nice audience. 13%

Jade Geisha is a purely fanciful name? Or is there some connection to the wine.

Well, if you looked at the back label, you wouldn't be mistaken for thinking they were naked geishas!

 

[Marc D]

Mark, how was the oak treatment on the Guigal blanc? A few years ago someone brought a Guigal Condrieu La Doriane to a dinner and the wood killed any enjoyment of the wine. Not sure if the same applies to the St Joseph blanc.

 

[MarkS]

originally posted by Marc D:
Mark, how was the oak treatment on the Guigal blanc? A few years ago someone brought a Guigal Condrieu La Doriane to a dinner and the wood killed any enjoyment of the wine. Not sure if the same applies to the St Joseph blanc.

Marc, the oak is more obvious than someone like Gonon or Monier, but I thought it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of it. Perhaps good quality oak? Because it seemed to add to the richness of the mix and (this year at least, I don't know others)the wine could handle it.

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by MarkS:

originally posted by Joe Cz:

originally posted by MarkS:
Guigal, Saint Joseph (blanc), 'Lieu Dit', 2012
Don't know why Guigal needs to put 'lieu dit' on the label while simultaneously not telling us which one? This a medium deep gold with paraffin on nose and a rich stew of butter, boiled peanut, and lemon-thyme honeycomb wax on the palate. There's that rich, dull, unctuous quality on the end that many white Rhones have and a little bit of alcohol warmth as well. [93% marsanne/7% rousanne]

It's from the lieu dit Saint-Joseph. I'm told it includes old-vine fruit from the former estate of J.L. Grippat (purchased by Guigal in 2000, IIRC).

Thanks! No wonder it's so good, then.

Oh, you liked it? I couldn't tell from the notes. (And "boiled peanut" is really unattractive to me.)

 

[Todd Abrams]

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

originally posted by MarkS:

originally posted by Joe Cz:

originally posted by MarkS:
Guigal, Saint Joseph (blanc), 'Lieu Dit', 2012
Don't know why Guigal needs to put 'lieu dit' on the label while simultaneously not telling us which one? This a medium deep gold with paraffin on nose and a rich stew of butter, boiled peanut, and lemon-thyme honeycomb wax on the palate. There's that rich, dull, unctuous quality on the end that many white Rhones have and a little bit of alcohol warmth as well. [93% marsanne/7% rousanne]

It's from the lieu dit Saint-Joseph. I'm told it includes old-vine fruit from the former estate of J.L. Grippat (purchased by Guigal in 2000, IIRC).

Thanks! No wonder it's so good, then.

Oh, you liked it? I couldn't tell from the notes. (And "boiled peanut" is really unattractive to me.)

Ain’t nothing quite like some creamy, salty boiled peanuts, fresh and hot from a roadside stand on Ashley River Road in Charleston, SC.

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by Joe Cz:

originally posted by MarkS:
Guigal, Saint Joseph (blanc), 'Lieu Dit', 2012
Don't know why Guigal needs to put 'lieu dit' on the label while simultaneously not telling us which one? This a medium deep gold with paraffin on nose and a rich stew of butter, boiled peanut, and lemon-thyme honeycomb wax on the palate. There's that rich, dull, unctuous quality on the end that many white Rhones have and a little bit of alcohol warmth as well. [93% marsanne/7% rousanne]

It's from the lieu dit Saint-Joseph. I'm told it includes old-vine fruit from the former estate of J.L. Grippat (purchased by Guigal in 2000, IIRC).

Good memory: Spec sez early 2001.

 

[MarkS]

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

originally posted by MarkS:

originally posted by Joe Cz:

originally posted by MarkS:
Guigal, Saint Joseph (blanc), 'Lieu Dit', 2012
Don't know why Guigal needs to put 'lieu dit' on the label while simultaneously not telling us which one? This a medium deep gold with paraffin on nose and a rich stew of butter, boiled peanut, and lemon-thyme honeycomb wax on the palate. There's that rich, dull, unctuous quality on the end that many white Rhones have and a little bit of alcohol warmth as well. [93% marsanne/7% rousanne]

It's from the lieu dit Saint-Joseph. I'm told it includes old-vine fruit from the former estate of J.L. Grippat (purchased by Guigal in 2000, IIRC).

Thanks! No wonder it's so good, then.

Oh, you liked it? I couldn't tell from the notes. (And "boiled peanut" is really unattractive to me.)

So you want points, then? I gave it an A- or about 91. I'm guessing the peanut note is why you tend not to like N Rhone whites?

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by MarkS:

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

originally posted by MarkS:

originally posted by Joe Cz:

originally posted by MarkS:
Guigal, Saint Joseph (blanc), 'Lieu Dit', 2012
Don't know why Guigal needs to put 'lieu dit' on the label while simultaneously not telling us which one? This a medium deep gold with paraffin on nose and a rich stew of butter, boiled peanut, and lemon-thyme honeycomb wax on the palate. There's that rich, dull, unctuous quality on the end that many white Rhones have and a little bit of alcohol warmth as well. [93% marsanne/7% rousanne]

It's from the lieu dit Saint-Joseph. I'm told it includes old-vine fruit from the former estate of J.L. Grippat (purchased by Guigal in 2000, IIRC).

Thanks! No wonder it's so good, then.

Oh, you liked it? I couldn't tell from the notes. (And "boiled peanut" is really unattractive to me.)

So you want points, then? I gave it an A- or about 91. I'm guessing the peanut note is why you tend not to like N Rhone whites?

No points needed but a favorable word or two would help. You may have meant your language to be flattering but your word-choice seems neutral to me: "dull", "unctuous", and you mention a final kick of alky... these are not Praise words. You also used a few neither-here-nor-there words: "stew" and "boiled peanut".

 

[Todd Abrams]

Leave it to a Yankee to disparage boiled peanuts twice in one thread.

 

[Marc D]

originally posted by Todd Abrams:
Leave it to a Yankee to disparage boiled peanuts twice in one thread.

We lived in Carolina for a while and we were telling a friend from Pennsylvania how much we loved boiled peanuts there. He was on a road trip to Savannah and remembering my rhapsody managed to buy some boiled peanuts at a Quick Stop store. Only they were the cold ones they sold in bags stored in the refrigerator. These are truly awful, slimy textured, mushy and cold. He thought I lost my mind recommending them.

 

[Todd Abrams]

Honestly the first few times I tried them I was not a fan. But they grew on me. And they are definitely the best right out of the simmering broth. The cold, bagged ones are for hardcore fans only. I make them at home here in Detroit on occasion, usually when I’m shopping at the local 168 Asian Mart and see a bag of green peanuts.

 

[Rahsaan]

The question of whether boiled peanuts are delicious (undoubtedly true) is different from whether boiled peanuts is a positive wine descriptor. On the latter issue, I could see it going either way and would probably depend on what else was present to balance out the profile.

 

[MarkS]

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

originally posted by MarkS:

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

originally posted by MarkS:

originally posted by Joe Cz:

originally posted by MarkS:
Guigal, Saint Joseph (blanc), 'Lieu Dit', 2012
Don't know why Guigal needs to put 'lieu dit' on the label while simultaneously not telling us which one? This a medium deep gold with paraffin on nose and a rich stew of butter, boiled peanut, and lemon-thyme honeycomb wax on the palate. There's that rich, dull, unctuous quality on the end that many white Rhones have and a little bit of alcohol warmth as well. [93% marsanne/7% rousanne]

It's from the lieu dit Saint-Joseph. I'm told it includes old-vine fruit from the former estate of J.L. Grippat (purchased by Guigal in 2000, IIRC).

Thanks! No wonder it's so good, then.

Oh, you liked it? I couldn't tell from the notes. (And "boiled peanut" is really unattractive to me.)

So you want points, then? I gave it an A- or about 91. I'm guessing the peanut note is why you tend not to like N Rhone whites?

No points needed but a favorable word or two would help. You may have meant your language to be flattering but your word-choice seems neutral to me: "dull", "unctuous", and you mention a final kick of alky... these are not Praise words. You also used a few neither-here-nor-there words: "stew" and "boiled peanut".

I'm like the dispassionate Supreme Court justice who only calls balls n strikes, I don't need interpret the law. But here I'll say it: boiled peanut in a marsanne or rousanne based wine is to me a positive, whereas 'dull' is usually what I'll find in the grapes as well and is not meant to be derogatory. If I found these in a California cabernet or a Finger Lakes riesling then they would be negative.

 

[Tristan Welles]

I believe the preferred spelling is berld.